We talk about recovery often, but how many of us actually make a conscious decision to recover or have the time to recover. We all have extremely busy lives and just making it in for an hour a few times a week is sometimes difficult let alone allocating more time to recovering properly. We work out so hard most days and wake up sore the next. On days we wake up sore we are faced with two options; work out or take a rest day. There is a third option, consider an active recovery day. Active rest can be something as simple as playing basketball or tennis or taking extra time with a foam roller.

We tend to base our workout success on how sore we are, but what good is being so sore that it prevents us from working out for a few days? Our bodies improve and adapt on the days we recover, so scheduling recovery time is vital to optimizing our performances. The simple equation is work + rest = success.

The quicker you recover the sooner you can get back to high intensity workouts which leads to better gains and faster improvements. In other words recovery is the key element to reaching or not reaching your goals.

Recovery is also important from a mental standpoint. Even the most well conditioned athletes will burn out if they push the limits with their workouts and don’t make a conscious effort to rest and recover. Scheduling active rest days during the week allows you to really push yourself during your workouts knowing you’ll be giving your body and mind time to recover. Make a conscious effort to take recovery days and during those recovery days find different way to actively recover. I mean we work our tails off inside of the gym so we can enjoy ourselves outside of the gym, right?

So how do we put this in play? Plan ahead. You know what a typical week looks like for you and when you’ll be training. You’ll also have an idea as to when you’ll need a recovery day so plan accordingly. Ask your trainers for different active recovery drills or invite a member to go play hoops or tennis. Might as well take advantage of the great weather and get outside while we still can.